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  • First Films Announced for 2014 Berlin International Film Festival Competition and Berlinale Special Programs

     GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL directed by Wes Anderson GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL directed by Wes Anderson

    The first seven films have been selected for the Competition program of the 64th Berlin International Film Festival taking place February 6 to 16, 2014. Joining opening film GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL directed by Wes Anderson, and George Clooney’s MONUMENTS MEN screening in out-of-competition, are ‘71 by Yann Demange, LIFE OF RILEY by Alain Resnais, ALOFT by Claudia Llosa and starring Jennifer Connelly, DIE GELIEBTEN SCHWESTERN by Dominik Graf, and STRATOS by Yannis Economides. As part of the official program, an additional four films have been invited to screen in the Berlinale Special program

    Competition

    ‘71
    United Kingdom
    By Yann Demange (Top Boy – TV series)
    With Jack O’Connell, Sean Harris, Richard Dormer
    World premiere

    AIMER, BOIRE ET CHANTER (LIFE OF RILEY)
    France
    By Alain Resnais (Smoking/No smoking, On connaît la chanson)
    With Sabine Azéma, Sandrine Kiberlain, Caroline Silhol, André Dussolier, Hippolyte Giradot, Michel Vuillermoz
    World premiere

    ALOFT
    Spain / Canada / France 
    By Claudia Llosa (The Milk of Sorrow)
    With Jennifer Connelly, Cillian Murphy, Mélanie Laurent 
    World premiere

    DIE GELIEBTEN SCHWESTERN
    Germany
    By Dominik Graf (In Face of the Crime, Lawinen der Erinnerung)
    With Hannah Herzsprung, Florian Stetter, Henriette Confurius
    World premiere

    STRATOS
    Greece / Germany / Cyprus
    By Yannis Economides (Matchbox, Soul Kicking)
    With Vangelis Mourikis, Vicky Papadopoulou, Petros Zervos
    World premiere

    THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL 
    United Kingdom / Germany
    By Wes Anderson (Moonrise Kingdom, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou)
    With Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, F. Murray Abraham, Mathieu Amalric, Adrien Brody
    World premiere – Opening film

    THE MONUMENTS MEN 
    Germany / USA
    By George Clooney (The Ides of March; Good Night, and Good Luck.)
    With George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville, Cate Blanchett
    International premiere – Out of competition

    Berlinale Special

    A LONG WAY DOWN
    United Kingdom
    By Pascal Chaumeil (HeartBreaker) 
    With Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette, Aaron Paul, Imogen Poots
    World premiere

    ENTENTE CORDIALE (WE COME AS FRIENDS) – documentary
    France / Austria
    By Hubert Sauper (Darwin‘s Nightmare)
    European premiere

    THE GALAPAGOS AFFAIR: SATAN CAME TO EDEN – documentary
    USA
    By Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller (Ballets Russes)
    With the voices of Cate Blanchett, Diane Kruger, Thomas Kretschmann, Sebastian Koch, Josh Radnor, Connie Nielsen, Gustaf Skarsgård
    European premiere

    THE TURNING – anthology film
    Australia
    By Marieka Walsh, Warwick Thornton, Jub Clerc, Robert Connolly, Anthony Lucas, Rhys Graham, Ashlee Page, Tony Ayres, Claire McCarthy, Stephen Page, Shaun Gladwell, Mia Wasikowska, Simon Stone, David Wenham, Jonathan auf der Heide, Justin Kurzel, Yaron Lifschitz, Ian Meadows
    With Cate Blanchett, Rose Byrne, Miranda Otto, Richard Roxburgh, Hugo Weaving
    International premiere

     

     

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  • Sundance Film Festival Unveils 2014 Short Film Selections

     A Portrait of Marina Abramović / U.S.A. (Director: Matthu Placek) A Portrait of Marina Abramović / U.S.A. (Director: Matthu Placek)

    Sundance Film Festival unveiled the short films selected for the 2014 festival taking place January 16 to 26 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. The 2014 Short Film program is comprised of 66 short films selected from a record 8,161 submissions (59 more than for the 2013 Festival). Trevor Groth, Director of Programming for the Sundance Film Festival, said, “The Short Film program for the 2014 Sundance Film Festival features an astonishing array of new stories, viewpoints and filmmaking talent, positioning it at the core of our work to discover and share independent perspectives on our culture and world.”

    U.S. NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS

    130919 • A Portrait of Marina Abramović / U.S.A. (Director: Matthu Placek) — This one-take, 3-D film majestically documents legendary performance artist Marina Abramovic, capturing the breadth of space in infinite detail: the life of an artist, her keen sense of transition, a space’s decay, and the ripeness of rebirth.

    Afronauts / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Frances Bodomo) — On July 16th 1969, America prepares to launch Apollo 11. Thousands of miles away, the Zambia Space Academy hopes to beat America to the moon. Inspired by true events.

    The Big House (Al Bayt Al Kabeer) / U.S.A., Yemen (Director and screenwriter: Musa Syeed) — When a young Yemeni boy ventures out of his cramped apartment and finds a key to the empty mansion down the street, he lets himself and his imagination run wild in the big house.

    The Bravest, the Boldest / U.S.A. (Director: Moon Molson, Screenwriters: Eric Fallen, Moon Molson) — Two army casualty-notification officers arrive at the Harlem projects to deliver some news to Sayeeda Porter about her son serving in the war overseas. But whatever it is they have to say, Sayeeda ain’t willing to hear it.

    Catherine / U.S.A. (Director: Dean Fleischer-Camp, Screenwriters: Dean Fleischer-Camp, Jenny Slate) —Catherine returns to work after a hiatus.

    Chapel Perilous / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Matthew Lessner) — Chapel perilous is an occult term describing a psychological state where people are uncertain if they have been aided or hindered by a force outside the natural world. 

    Cruising Electric (1980) / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Brumby Boylston) — The marketing department green-lights a red-light tie-in: 60 lost seconds of modern movie merchandising.

    Dawn / U.S.A. (Director: Rose McGowan, Screenwriters: M.A. Fortin, Joshua John Miller) — Dawn is a quiet young teenager who longs for something or someone to free her from her sheltered life.

    Dig / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Toby Halbrooks) — A young girl watches her father dig a hole in their backyard. Mystified about his purpose, the neighborhood comes to watch.

    The End of Eating Everything/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Wangechi Mutu) — The End of Eating Everything traces the journey of a flying, planetlike creature navigating a bleak skyscape. This sick soul is lost in a polluted atmosphere without grounding or roots, led by hunger toward its destruction.

    Funnel / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Andre Hyland) — A man’s car breaks down and sends him on a quest across town that slowly turns into the most fantastically mundane adventure.

    Gregory Go Boom/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Janicza Bravo) — A paraplegic man leaves home for the first time only to discover that life in the outside world is not the way he had imagined it.

    Here Come the Girls / U.S.A., Norway (Director and screenwriter: Young Jean Lee) — An examination of the life of Joe Truman, an aspiring musician, father, and drug user. This unsettling paradocumentary investigates Joe’s private life through invasive snapshots of his environment and relationships and is a painful pleasure to watch.

    I’m a Mitzvah / U.S.A. (Director: Ben Berman, Screenwriters: Ben Berman, Josh Cohen) — A young American man spends one last night with his deceased friend while stranded in rural Mexico.

    The Immaculate Reception / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Charlotte Glynn) — It’s 1972 in the hardworking steel town of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Sixteen-year-old Joey has the chance to prove himself when his crush ends up at his house to watch the infamous football game between the Steelers and the Raiders.

    Jonathan’s Chest / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Christopher Radcliff) — Everything changes one night for Alex, a troubled teenager, when he is visited by a boy claiming to be his brother—who disappeared years earlier.

    Kekasih / U.S.A., Malaysia (Director and screenwriter: Diffan Sina Norman) — While pursuing his late wife, a botanical professor encounters a divine presence that will transform him forever.

    Master Muscles / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Efrén Hernández) — Veronica and Efren go on a trip.

    Me + Her / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Joseph Oxford) — In a faraway world, tucked away in a small fold of land behind an enormous willow tree, exists the tiny city of Cardboard. After a tragic event, Jack Cardboard goes on a journey to mend his broken heart.

    Person to Person / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Dustin Guy Defa) — Waking up the morning after hosting a party, a man discovers a stranger passed out on his floor. He spends the rest of the day trying to convince her to leave.

    Rat Pack Rat / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Todd Rohal) — A Sammy Davis Jr. impersonator, hired to visit a loyal Rat Pack fan, finds himself performing the last rites at the boy’s bedside.

    Verbatim / U.S.A. (Director: Brett Weiner, Screenwriter: Court Document) — A jaded lawyer wastes an afternoon trying to figure out if a dim-witted government employee has ever used a photocopier. All the dialogue in this short comes from an actual deposition filed with the Supreme Court of Ohio.

    INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS

    2 Girls 1 Cake / Denmark (Director and screenwriter: Jens Dahl) — Two girls reunite after a traumatic near-death experience, which occurs in 10 central minutes of 24-year-old Julie’s life. She stands face to face with unbearable injustice.

    Best / United Kingdom (Director: William Oldroyd, Screenwriter: Adam Brace) — With his wedding only moments away, a man and his best friend confront their future.

    Black Mulberry / Georgia, France (Director: Gabriel Razmadze, Screenwriters: Gabriel Razmadze, Tinatin Kajrishvili) — In a small, remote mining town in the Republic of Georgia, Nick and Anna, two teens from vastly different backgrounds, come together for an idyllic moment in time.

    Burger / United Kingdom, Norway (Director and screenwriter: Magnus Mork) — It’s late night in a burger bar in Wales…

    Butter Lamp/ France, China (Director and screenwriter: Hu Wei) — A photographer weaves unique links among nomadic families.

    The Cut/ Canada (Director and screenwriter: Geneviève Dulude-Decelles) — The Cut tells the story of a father and a daughter, whose relationship fluctuates between proximity and detachment, at the moment of a haircut.

    Exchange & Mart / United Kingdom (Directors: Cara Connolly, Martin Clark, Screenwriter: Cara Connolly) — Reg is a lonely girl at a remote Scottish boarding school where paranoia about rape is rife. Her unorthodox self-defense class provides the human touch she craves so deeply. When she is attacked in the woods, she knows what she has to do…

    Here I Am…There You Are… / Israel (Director and screenwriter: Dikla Jika Elkaslassy) — Domination emerges during foreplay between a married couple. As the film evolves, the gray areas between controlling and being controlled cause confusion for both partners. When reality eclipses their imaginary game, they realize what is controlling them.

    Life’s a Bitch / Canada (Director: François Jaros, Screenwriter: Guillaume Lambert) — Love. Grief. Choc. Denial. Sleeplessness. Bubble bath. Mucus. Masturbation. Pop tart. Pigeons. Toothpaste. Hospital. F__k. Bye. Hair. Sports. Chicken. Bootie. Kids. Rejection. Squirrels. Cries. Awkward—95 scenes, five minutes: life’s a bitch.

    Metube: August Sings Carmen “Habanera” / Austria (Director and screenwriter: Daniel Moshel) — George Bizet`s “Habanera” from Carmen has been reinterpreted and enhanced with electronic sounds for MeTube, a homage to thousands of ambitious YouTube users and video bloggers, and gifted and less gifted self-promoters on the Internet.

    Mi nina mi vida / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Yan Giroux) — Jack and his giant stuffed bear move through the bustling crowds and noisy rides at an amusement park. In this strange world he can no longer relate to, he searches for a reason to smile.

    More Than Two Hours / Iran (Director: Ali Asgari, Screenwriters: Ali Asgari, Farnoosh Samadi) — It’s 3:00 a.m., and a boy and girl are wandering in the city, looking for a hospital to cure the girl, but it’s much harder to find one than they thought.

    My Sense of Modesty / France (Director and screenwriter: Sébastien Bailly) — Hafsia, an art history student, must remove her hijab for an oral exam. To prepare, she goes to the Louvre to view the painting she has to comment on.

    Mystery / Spain (Director and screenwriter: Chema García Ibarra) — They say that if you put your ear to the back of his neck, you can hear the Virgin talk.

    Pleasure / Sweden (Director and screenwriter: Ninja Thyberg) — Behind the scenes of a porn shoot, the actors practice various positions. The rumor is that one of the girls is doing an advanced routine that requires someone extremely tough. Pleasure is a startling film about workplace intrigue.

    Syndromeda / Sweden (Director and screenwriter: Patrik Eklund) — Leif wakes up on the road—naked and bloody—with no memory of what has happened. No one believes him when he claims he was abducted by aliens.

    Wakening / Canada (Director: Danis Goulet, Screenwriter: Tony Elliott) — In the near future, the environment has been destroyed, and society suffocates under a brutal military occupation. A lone Cree wanderer, Weesakechak, searches an urban war zone to find the ancient and dangerous Weetigo to help fight the occupiers.

    DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS

    Choreography / U.S.A. (Directors: David Redmon, Ashley Sabin) — Donkeys gaze at those who gaze at them.

    Fe26 / U.S.A. (Director: Kevin Jerome Everson) — Two gentlemen make a living hustling metal in Cleveland, Ohio.

    Godka Cirka (A Hole in the Sky) / Spain, France, U.S.A. (Directors: Alex Lora, Antonio Tibaldi) — Young Alifa looks up at the Somali sky and thinks about her daily life as a shepherdess. She knows the day that will change her life forever is about to come.

    Hacked Circuit / U.S.A. (Director: Deborah Stratman) — This circular study of the Foley process portrays sound artists at work constructing complex layers of fabrication and imposition.

    I Think This Is the Closest to How the Footage Looked / Israel (Directors: Yuval Hameiri, Michal Vaknin) — A man with poor means recreates a lost memory of the last day with his mom. Objects come to life in a desperate struggle to produce a single moment that is gone.

    The Last Days of Peter Bergmann / Ireland (Director: Ciaran Cassidy) — In 2009, a man claiming to be from Austria arrived in the town of Sligo, Ireland. During his final days, Peter Bergmann went to great lengths to ensure no one ever discovered who he was and where he came from.

    The Lion’s Mouth Opens / U.S.A. (Director: Lucy Walker) — A stunningly courageous young woman takes the boldest step imaginable, supported by her mother and loving friends.

    Love. Love. Love. / Russia (Director: Sandhya Daisy Sundaram) — Every year, through the endless winters, her love takes new shapes and forms.

    Notes on Blindness / United Kingdom, U.S.A., Australia (Directors: Peter Middleton, James Spinney) — In 1983, writer and theologian John Hull became blind. To help make sense of his loss, he began keeping an audio diary. Encompassing dreams, memories, and his imaginative life, Notes on Blindness immerses the viewer in Hull’s experience of blindness.

    Of God and Dogs / Syrian Arab Republic (Director: Abounaddara Collective) — A young, free Syrian soldier confesses to killing a man he knew was innocent. He promises to take vengeance on the God who led him to commit the murder.

    One Billion Rising / U.S.A. (Directors: Eve Ensler, Tony Stroebel) — In 2013, one billion women and men rose and shook the earth through dance to end violence against women in the biggest mass action ever. The event was a radical awakening of body and consciousness. This is what it looked like.

    Remembering the Artist, Robert De Niro, Sr. / U.S.A. (Directors: Perri Peltz, Geeta Gandbhir) — Robert De Niro, Sr., was a figurative painter obscured by the powerful pop art movement. His work has returned to the spotlight because of his son, who happens to be one of the world’s most famous actors.

    Tim and Susan Have Matching Handguns / U.S.A. (Director: Joe Callander) — Love is swapping clips with your spouse in the middle of a three-gun problem.

    Untucked / U.S.A. (Director: Danny Pudi) — This documentary explores the iconic “untucked” jersey worn in 1977 when Marquette University won its first and only national college basketball championship. It was designed by one of Marquette’s players, Bo Ellis, under the fearless leadership of Coach Al McGuire.

    ANIMATED SHORT FILMS

    Allergy to Originality / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Drew Christie) — A humorous, animated op doc explores the rich history of adaptation, plagiarism, and other forms of appropriation in art.

    Astigmatismo / Spain (Director and screenwriter: Nicolai Troshinsky) — A boy loses his glasses and can only see one thing in focus at a time. With his sight shaped by the sounds around him, he must learn to explore a blurry world of unknown places and strange characters.

    Blame It on the Seagull / Norway (Director: Julie Engaas, Screenwriters: Julie Engaas, Cecilie Bjørnaraa) — An animated documentary about Pelle Sandstrak and the way he showed the first signs of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette’s syndrome as a teenager.

    Crime: The Animated Series (Marcus McGhee) / U.S.A., Canada (Directors: Alix Lambert, Sam Chou) — When Hartford teacher Marcus McGhee has his car stolen, the police refuse to assist him. Directors Alix Lambert and Sam Chou mix humor with stark reality in this animated documentary short.

    Marilyn Myller / U.S.A., United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Mikey Please) — Marilyn maketh. Marilyn taketh awayeth. Marilyn is trying really hard to create something good. For once, her expectation and reality are going to align. It will be epic. It will be tear-jerkingly profound. It will be perfect. Nothing can go wrong.

    The Obvious Child / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Stephen Irwin) — Somebody broke the girl’s parents. The rabbit was there when it happened. It was an awful mess.

    Passer Passer / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Louis Morton) — An animated city symphony celebrates the hidden world of background noise.

    Phantom Limb / United Kingdom, Australia (Director and screenwriter: Alex Grigg) — James and Martha narrowly survive a motorcycle accident. During the aftermath, however, James begins to experience Martha’s phantom pains.

    Piece, Peace / South Korea (Director and screenwriter: Jae-in Park) — Psychological changes among different characters lead to a more and more extreme situation.

    The Present / Taiwan (Director: Joe Hsieh, Screenwriters: Joe Hsieh, Ching-Chwang Ho) — A married man on a business trip checks into a hotel. The hotel manager’s daughter falls for him at first sight. Rejected by the man, she embarks on a journey of revenge.

    Subconscious Password / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Chris Landreth) — Chris Landreth, the director of the Academy Award–winning short Ryan, plays Charles, a man paralyzed by his inability to remember a friend’s name. Thus begins a mind-bending romp through a game show of the unconscious—complete with animated celebrity guests.

    White Morning / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Paul Barritt) — A short film about the violence of little boys and little men.

    Yearbook / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Bernardo Britto) — A man is hired to compile the definitive history of human existence before the planet blows up.

     

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  • Athena Film Festival Sets 2014 Dates and Awardees

    athena film festival

    The Athena Film Festival, that highlights women’s leadership, will return for the 4th edition on Barnard’s campus in Morningside Heights, New York City from February 6 to 9, 2014. Philanthropist Sherry Lansing, former Chair and CEO of Paramount Pictures and former President of 20th Century Fox will be honored as one this year’s recipients of the Athena Film Festival Awards, which honor noted actors, directors, producers and other members of the film industry for their leadership and creative accomplishments. Sherry Lansing will receive The Laura Ziskin Lifetime Achievement Award. Additional awardees include Keri Putnam, Executive Director of the Sundance Institute, Callie Khouri, Academy Award winning screenwriter of Thelma and Louise, and creator of the series Nashville, and Kasi Lemmons, actress, director and writer of the current film Black Nativity as well as Talk to Me, Eve’s Bayou and The Caveman’s Valentine.

     

    “It is my great honor to receive an award in Laura Ziskin’s name from the Athena Film Festival,” said Sherry Lansing.  “Laura helped lead the way for so many women in Hollywood and she would be incredibly proud of the filmmakers highlighted at this event.” 

     

    The Athena Film Festival also announced the creation of the Athena List, which will highlight between 3-5 completed screenplays with strong leading female characters that have yet to be made into films. The first group of selected screenplays on the Athena List will be announced at the festival.

    image via Facebook | Director Cecilia Peck and Producer Inbal Lessner— at Barnard College.

     

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  • 2014 Sundance Film Festival Announce Out-of-Competition Films Selected to Premiere; incl. William H. Macy RUDDERLESS

    RUDDERLESS directed by William H. MacyRUDDERLESS directed by William H. Macy

    Sundance Film Festival revealed the films in the out-of-competition Premieres and Documentary Premieres sections of the festival  taking place January 16 to 26, 2014, in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.  Films include RUDDERLESS directed by William H. Macy and selected as the Closing Night film.  RUDDERLESS features a star studded cast including Billy Crudup, Anton Yelchin, Felicity Huffman, Selena Gomez, Laurence Fishburne, and William H. Macy , and is about when a grieving father in a downward spiral stumbles upon a box of his deceased son’s original music, he forms a rock ‘n’ roll band, which changes his life.

    PREMIERES
    A showcase of world premieres of some of the most highly anticipated dramatic films of the coming year. Presented by Entertainment Weekly.

    Calvary / Ireland, United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: John Michael McDonagh) — Calvaryis a blackly comedic drama about a priest tormented by his community. Father James is a good man intent on making the world a better place. When his life is threatened one day during confession, he finds he has to battle the dark forces closing in around him. Cast: Brendan Gleeson, Chris O’Dowd, Kelly Reilly, Aidan Gillen, Dylan Moran, Marie-Josée Croz.

    Frank / Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Lenny Abrahamson, Screenwriters: Jon Ronson, Peter Straughan) — 
    Frank is an offbeat comedy about a wannabe musician who finds himself out of his depth when he joins an avant garde rock band led by the enigmatic Frank—a musical genius who hides himself inside a large fake head.
    Cast: Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Scoot McNairy.

    Hits / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: David Cross) — A small town in upstate New York is populated by people who wallow in unrealistic expectations. There, fame, delusion, earnestness, and recklessness meet, shake hands, and disrupt the lives around them. Cast: Meredith Hagner, Matt Walsh, James Adomian, Jake Cherry Derek Waters, Wyatt Cenac.

    I Origins / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Mike Cahill) — A molecular biologist and his lab partner uncover startling evidence that could fundamentally change society as we know it and cause them to question their once-certain beliefs in science and spirituality. Cast: Michael Pitt, Brit Marling, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Steven Yeun, Archie Panjabi.

    Laggies/ U.S.A. (Director: Lynn Shelton, Screenwriter: Andrea Seigel) — Laggies is a coming of age story about a 28-year-old woman stuck in permanent adolescence. Unable to find her career calling, still hanging out with the same friends, and living with her high school boyfriend, Megan must finally navigate her own future when an unexpected marriage proposal sends her into a panic. Cast: Keira Knightley, Sam Rockwell, Chloë Grace Moretz, Ellie Kemper, Jeff Garlin, Mark Webber.

    Little Accidents / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Sara Colangelo) — In a small American coal town living in the shadow of a recent mining accident, the disappearance of a teenage boy draws three people together—a surviving miner, the lonely wife of a mine executive, and a local boy—in a web of secrets. Cast: Elizabeth Banks, Boyd Holbrook, Chloë Sevigny, Jacob Lofland, Josh Lucas.

    Love is Strange / U.S.A. (Director: Ira Sachs, Screenwriters: Ira Sachs, Mauricio Zacharias) — After 39 years together, Ben and George finally tie the knot, but George loses his job as a result, and the newlyweds must sell their New York apartment and live apart, relying on friends and family to make ends meet. Cast: John Lithgow, Alfred Molina, Marisa Tomei, Darren Burrows, Charlie Tahan, Cheyenne Jackson.

    A Most Wanted Man / Germany, U.S.A. (Director: Anton Corbijn, Screenwriter: Andrew Bovell) — Based on John le Carré’s bestselling book, Anton Corbijn directs this modern-day thriller with Academy Award–winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright, and two-time Academy Award nominee Willem Dafoe headlining an ensemble cast. Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams, Willem Dafoe, Robin Wright.

    Nick Offerman: American Ham / U.S.A. (Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts, Screenwriter: Nick Offerman) — WARNING: MINOR NUDITY AND NOT SUITABLE FOR VEGETARIANS. This live taping of Nick Offerman’s hilarious one-man show at New York’s historic Town Hall theater features a collection of anecdotes, songs, and woodworking/oral sex techniques. The routine includes Offerman’s 10 tips for living a more prosperous life, so hearken well. Cast: Nick Offerman.

    The One I Love / U.S.A. (Director: Charlie McDowell, Screenwriter: Justin Lader) — Struggling with a marriage on the brink of falling apart, a couple escapes for the weekend in pursuit of their better selves, only to discover an unusual dilemma waiting for them. Cast: Mark Duplass, Elisabeth Moss, Ted Danson.

    The Raid 2 / Indonesia (Director and screenwriter: Gareth Evans) — Picking up where the first film left off, The Raid 2 follows Rama as he goes undercover and infiltrates the ranks of a ruthless Jakarta crime syndicate in order to protect his family and expose the corruption in his own police force. Cast: Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, Arifin Putra, Oka Antara, Tio Pakusadewo, Alex Abbad.

    Rudderless / U.S.A. (Director: William H. Macy, Screenwriters: Casey Twenter, Jeff Robison, William H. Macy) — When a grieving father in a downward spiral stumbles upon a box of his deceased son’s original music, he forms a rock ‘n’ roll band, which changes his life. Cast: Billy Crudup, Anton Yelchin, Felicity Huffman, Selena Gomez, Laurence Fishburne, William H. Macy.CLOSING NIGHT FILM

    They Came Together / U.S.A. (Director: David Wain, Screenwriters: Michael Showalter, David Wain) — This subversion/spoof/deconstruction of the romantic comedy genre has a vaguely, but not overtly, Jewish leading man, a klutzy, but adorable, leading lady, and New York City itself as another character in the story. Cast: Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, Ed Helms, Cobie Smulders, Max Greenfield, Christopher Meloni.

    The Trip to Italy / United Kingdom (Director: Michael Winterbottom, Screenwriters: Rob Brydon, Steve Coogan, Michael Winterbottom) — Michael Winterbottom reunites Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon for more delectable food, some sharp-elbowed rivalry, and plenty of laughs. Cast: Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon.

    The Voices / U.S.A., Germany (Director: Marjane Satrapi, Screenwriter: Michael Perry) — This genre-bending tale centers around Jerry Hickfang, a lovable but disturbed factory worker who yearns for attention from a woman in accounting. When their relationship takes a sudden, murderous turn, Jerry’s evil talking cat and benevolent talking dog lead him down a fantastical path where he ultimately finds salvation. Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick, Jacki Weaver.

    White Bird in a Blizzard / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Gregg Araki) — Based on the acclaimed novel by Laura Kasischke, White Bird in a Blizzard tells the story of Kat Connors, a young woman whose life is turned upside down by the sudden disappearance of her beautiful, enigmatic mother. Cast: Shailene Woodley, Eva Green, Christopher Meloni, Shiloh Fernandez, Gabourey Sidibe, Thomas Jane.

    Young Ones / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jake Paltrow) — When a series of events is set into motion, altering his young life forever, Jerome is forced to make choices that no child should ever have to make. Cast: Michael Shannon, Nicholas Hoult, Elle Fanning, Kodi Smit-McPhee.

    DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES
    Renowned filmmakers and films about far-reaching subjects comprise this section highlighting our ongoing commitment to documentaries. Each film is a world premiere.

    The Battered Bastards of Baseball / U.S.A. (Directors: Chapman Way, Maclain Way) — Hollywood veteran Bing Russell creates the only independent baseball team in the country—alarming the baseball establishment and sparking the meteoric rise of the 1970s Portland Mavericks.

    Finding Fela / U.S.A. (Director: Alex Gibney) — Fela Anikulapo Kuti created the musical movement Afrobeat and used it as a political forum to oppose the Nigerian dictatorship and advocate for the rights of oppressed people. This is the story of his life, music, and political importance.

    Freedom Summer / U.S.A. (Director: Stanley Nelson) — In the summer of 1964, more than 700 students descended on violent, segregated Mississippi. Defying authorities, they registered voters, created freedom schools, and established the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. Fifty years later, eyewitness accounts and never-before-seen archival material tell their story. Not all of them would make it through.

    Happy Valley / U.S.A. (Director: Amir Bar-Lev) — The children of “Happy Valley” were victimized for years, by a key member of the legendary Penn State college football program. But were Jerry Sandusky’s crimes an open secret?  With rare access, director Amir Bar-Lev delves beneath the headlines to tell a modern American parable of guilt, redemption, and identity.

    Last Days in Vietnam / U.S.A. (Director: Rory Kennedy) — During the chaotic final weeks of the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese Army closes in on Saigon as the panicked South Vietnamese people desperately attempt to escape. On the ground, American soldiers and diplomats confront a moral quandary: whether to obey White House orders to evacuate only U.S. citizens.

    Life Itself / U.S.A. (Director: Steve James) — Life Itself recounts the surprising and entertaining life of renowned film critic and social commentator Roger Ebert. The film details his early days as a freewheeling bachelor and Pulitzer Prize winner, his famously contentious partnership with Gene Siskel, his life-altering marriage, and his brave and transcendent battle with cancer.

    Mitt / U.S.A. (Director: Greg Whiteley) — A filmmaker is granted unprecedented access to a political candidate and his family as he runs for President.

    This May Be the Last Time / U.S.A. (Director: Sterlin Harjo) — Filmmaker Sterlin Harjo’s Grandfather disappeared mysteriously in 1962. The community searching for him sang songs of encouragement that were passed down for generations. Harjo explores the origins of these songs as well as the violent history of his people.

    To Be Takei / U.S.A. (Director: Jennifer Kroot) — Over seven decades, actor and activist George Takei journeyed from a World War II internment camp to the helm of the Starship Enterprise, and then to the daily news feeds of five million Facebook fans. Join George and his husband, Brad, on a wacky and profound trek for life, liberty, and love.

    We Are The Giant / U.S.A., United Kingdom (Director: Greg Barker) — We Are The Giant tells the stories of ordinary individuals who are transformed by the moral and personal challenges they encounter when standing up for what they believe is right. Powerful and tragic, yet inspirational, their struggles for freedom echo across history and offer hope against seemingly impossible odds.

    WHITEY: United States of America v. James J. Bulger / U.S.A. (Director: Joe Berlinger) — Infamous gangster James “Whitey” Bulger’s relationship with the FBI and Department of Justice allowed him to reign over a criminal empire in Boston for decades. Joe Berlinger’s documentary chronicles Bulger’s recent sensational trial, using it as a springboard to explore allegations of corruption within the highest levels of law enforcement.

     

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  • THE HUSBAND Wins Top Award – Best Canadian Feature Film at 2013 Whistler Film Festival.

    THE HUSBAND, by Canadian director Bruce McDonaldTHE HUSBAND, by Canadian director Bruce McDonald

    THE HUSBAND by Canadian director Bruce McDonald, won the prize for Best Canadian Feature Film in the 10th edition of the Borsos Competition at the 2013 Whistler Film Festival. THE HUSBAND is described by the festival as a unique film about the other side of an adulterous affair follows Henry (McCabe-Lokos) as he deals with raising a child while his wife serves a prison sentence for an affair with a 14 year old student. THE HUSBAND had its Western Canadian premiere at the festival and stars Maxwell McCabe-Lokos, Sarah Allen, Dylan Authors, August Diehl and Joey Klein.

    Tatiana Maslany won WFF’s Best Performance in a Borsos Competition Film Award for the second year in a row, for her role in CAS & DYLAN. In 2012, she won the award for her role in Kate Melville’s PICTURE DAY.

     The other 2013 Borsos Competition finalists were:

    CAS & DYLAN, dir: Jason Priestley (Western Canadian Premiere)
    LOUIS CYR, dir: Daniel Roby (QC, Western Canadian Premiere)
    PATCH TOWN, dir: Craig Goodwill (Canadian Premiere)
    SIDDHARTH dir: Richie Mehta (Western Canadian Premiere)
    UVANGA, dirs: Marie- Hélène Cousineau and Madeline Piujuq Ivalu (Western Canadian Premiere)

    The World Documentary Award was awarded to JINGLE BELL ROCKS! directed by Mitchell Kezin. Described as a personal look at the director’s obsession with Christmas tunes, JINGLE BELL ROCKS! features two dozen of Mitchell’s favorite unknown Christmas songs.

    The Canadian ShortWork Award went to ANXIOUS OSWALD GREENE, directed by Marshall Axani, the International ShortWork Award went to A GRAND CANAL directed by Johnny Ma, and the ShortWork Student Award went to BACKWARD FALL by UBC’s Andrew Pollins. 

    Best Mountain Culture Film Award went to THE CRASH REEL, directed by Academy Award nominee Lucy Walker. MPPIA Short Film Award, was won by Nick Citton for THE FUTURE PERFECT, with the completed project having its world premiere screening at next year’s 2014 Whistler Film Festival.

    Best Female Directed Narrative Feature was awarded to THE ANIMAL PROJECT directed by Ingrid Veninger; Best Female Directed Documentary was awarded to THE CRASH REEL directed by Lucy Walker; and Special Mention for Documentary Excellence was awarded to HI-HO MASTAHEY directed by Alanis Obomsawin.

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  • Slamdance Film Festival Reveals 2014 Special Screenings, Beyond and Shorts Programs

     Bill Plympton’s CHEATINBill Plympton’s CHEATIN

    The Slamdance Film Festival revealed the films in the Special Screenings, Beyond and Shorts programs for the 20th Festival season taking place from January 17th to 23rd, 2014 in Park City, Utah at the Treasure Mountain Inn.  The festival also announced the premiere of the DIY documentary, which follows the historical development of the Do- It-Yourself indie film movement. In addition, Slamdance alumni films will open the festival with Bill Plympton’s “CHEATIN’,” and will close the festival with Lise Raven’s “KINDERWALD.”

    SPECIAL SCREENINGS PROGRAM

    FEATURES

    Cheatin’ – Director: Bill Plympton
    (USA) North American Premiere
    A newlywed wife proves the depth of her love by becoming her cheating husband’s mistresses.

    Kinderwald – Director: Lise Raven; Screenwriters: Lise Raven, Frank Bru?ckner
    (USA, Germany) North American Premiere
    Two little boys vanish into the mountains in 1854, and their return becomes a mysterious and brutal test of their mother’s faith.
    Cast: Emily Behr, Frank Bru?ckner, Max Cove, Brian McCann

    La Bare – Director: Joe Manganiello
    (USA) World Premiere
    An insider’s look at the history, the lives and the culture of the greatest male strip club in the world, La Bare Dallas.

    Waiting for Mamu – Directors: Thomas Morgan, Francois Caillaud, Dan Chen
    (USA)
    Pushpa Basnet has dedicated her life to ensuring no child spends life in prison. Cast: Pushpa Basnet

    SHORTS

    DIY – Directors: Peter Baxter, Ben Hethcoat, Eric Ekman
    (USA) World Premiere
    DIY explores the development of the do-it-yourself indie film movement with filmmakers who have shaped it. Filmmakers include Benh Zeitlin, Chris Nolan, Rian Johnson, Marc Forster, Nina Menkes and Oren Peli.

    La Mime – Director & Screenwriter: Marjorie Cohen
    (USA) World Premiere
    Two mimes make a connection through a battle that bends reality. Cast: Ekaterina Pirogovskaya, Jean-Louis Darville

    Somewhere In The Valley – Director & Screenwriter: David Greenspan
    (USA) World Premiere
    A man has sex with his neighbor’s wife 72 times, but it’s okay because his neighbor paid him to do it.
    Cast: Jill Bartlett, Craig Cackowski, Robert Dassie, Jean Villepique

    Zoe Rising – Director & Screenwriter: Paul Rachman
    (USA) World Premiere
    A haunting, poetic look back at the childhood of the late New York screenwriter and actress Zoe Tamerlis Lund, through the fading memories of her surviving mother, sculptor Barbara Lekberg. Cast: Barbara Lekberg, Zoe Lund

    BEYOND PROGRAM

    Crimes Against Humanity – Director: Jerzy Rose; Screenwriters: Halle Butler & Jerzy Rose
    (USA)
    A sweet and trusting young woman is repeatedly injured in bizarre accidents, but her overconfident boyfriend is far from sympathetic – he’s busy playing power games at the university where he works.
    Cast: Mike Lopez, Lyra Hill, Ted Tremper, Adam Paul, Buki Bodunrin, Tommy Heffron

    Forever Not Alone – Directors: Monja Art, Caroline Bobek
    (Austria) North American Premiere
    An astonishingly up-close and intimate look at the deep bonds of friendship amongst a group of adolescent girls, as one of them prepares to move away.

    Love Steaks – Director: Jakob Lass; Screenwriters: Jakob Lass, Nico Woche, Ines Schiller, Timon Schaeppi
    (Germany) US Premiere
    A shy massage therapist and a rebellious kitchen worker at a luxury hotel develop a bond that turns into a complicated, bittersweet anti-romance.
    Cast: Lana Cooper, Franz Rogowski

    Three Night Stand – Director & Screenwriter: Pat Kiely
    (Canada) US Premiere
    Carl’s plan to reconnect with Sue is compromised when he discovers that his former girlfriend is running the ski lodge where they’re vacationing.
    Cast: Sam Huntington, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Meaghan Rath, Jonathan Cherry

    Who Took Johnny – Directors: David Beilinson, Suki Hawley, Michael Galinsky
    (USA) World Premiere
    On September 5, 1982, Johnny Gosch, 12, disappeared while preparing to deliver newspapers in West Des Moines, Iowa. For the next 30 years his mother Noreen devoted her life to finding out what happened.
    Cast: Noreen Gosch, John Walsh

    NARRATIVE SHORTS PROGRAM

    Anacos – Director & Screenwriter: Xacio Ban?o
    (Spain)
    An old woman’s life is examined and reassembled by her son, who looks back on the many different stages she has passed through.
    Cast: Mabel Rivera, Fernando Mora?n, Xose? Barato

    Beat – Director & Screenwriter: Aneil Karia
    (UK)
    A man finds his withdrawal from the chaos and loneliness of the city challenged by a visceral inner force.
    Cast: Ben Whishaw, Henry Garrett, Kieron Jecchinis, Chelsea Fitzgerald

    Bradford-Halifax-London – Director & Screenwriter: Francis Lee
    (UK) US Premiere
    An irate father and pregnant mother argue vigorously after catching the 10:22 train from Bradford to London, with their sullen teenage daughter and the entire train car as audience. Cast: Katy Cavanagh, Paul Barnhill, Kirsty Armstrong, Martin Preston

    Daybreak – Director & Screenwriter: Ian Lagarde
    (Canada) US Premiere
    Growing tension in a group of friends leads to quiet violence and destruction as the children enter adolescence.
    Cast: Alexander Fitchev, Emilie Senecal

    Eidos – Director & Screenwriter: Louis D’Arpa
    (USA)
    A blind sculptor attempts to capture his aging mother’s essence in an art piece. Cast: Robin Martin, Pascal Yen-Pfister, Rachel Rear

    First Baptist – Directors: Nedra McClyde, Jamund Washington; Screenwriter: Nedra McClyde (USA) World Premiere
    A young Southern Baptist choir soloist fights for the right for his place in both the choir and in his community.
    Cast: Isaiah Johnson, Willie Teacher, Celestine Rae, Chike Johnson

    Grand Morelos – Director & Screenwriter: Marco Coppola
    (USA)
    An old street musician’s depression is shaken when an unexpected friend inspires him to examine what he wants most out of life.
    Cast: Anthony Govine, Maria Mercedes Morales, Thomas Kaufman
    The Greggs – Directors: Bruce Bundy, Nigel DeFriez, Rob Malone, Kira Pearson, Alex Mechanik, Jessie Levandov,

    Jonathan Rosenblit; Screenwriter: Bruce Bundy
    (USA) World Premiere
    The esoteric and secluded group responsible for the creation of the world’s standardized tests must find a way to adapt when their way of life is threatened by dissent within their ranks. Cast: Bruce Bundy, Nigel DeFriez, Kira Pearson, Rob Malone

    I Love You So Much – Director & Screenwriter: Leah Shore
    (USA) World Premiere
    A man and woman express their affection for each other in increasingly bizarre and animated ways.
    Cast: Jarret Kerr

    Keep A Tidy Soul – Director & Screenwriter: Joshua Moore
    (USA)
    A young woman abruptly loses her soul and does everything she can think of to find it again. Cast: Claire McConnell, Naomi Lila

    Kuhani – Director & Screenwriter: Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine
    (Uganda, USA) North American Premiere
    A conflicted African priest wrestles with his conscience.
    Cast: Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Irene Sanga, Anania Ngoliga, Abiodun Ojora

    Little Secret – Director & Screenwriter: Martin Krejci
    (Czech Republic)
    When his little white lie has unexpected large-scale consequences, an injured boy struggles to reach an understanding with his mother about how he was hurt.
    Cast: Adam Misik, Klara Cibulkova, Jenovefa Bokova

    Love Letter – Director & Screenwriter: Lindsey Martin
    (USA)
    A little girl attempts to make sense out of her parents’ divorce, with only scraps of their life together and her imagination to help her.
    Cast: Molly McQuoid, Martina Plag

    Marla – Director & Screenwriter: Nick King
    (Australia)
    After encountering a man curious about her rare medical condition, a woman risks exploring new aspects of her sexuality.
    Cast: Eddie Ritchard, Dale March, Lani Tupu

    Meet My Rapist – Director & Screenwriter: Jessie Kahnweiler
    (USA) World Premiere
    After accidentally bumping into him at the farmers’ market, Jessie is forced to confront the effect her rapist has had on her life.
    Cast: Jessie Kahnweiler, Trenton Willey, Lori Alan, Amanda Foreman

    Milk and Blood – Director: Markus Englmair; Screenwriters: Markus Englmair, Ugla Hauksdo?ttir
    (USA, Iceland) World Premiere
    Father and son respond violently to each other and their own frustrations with the scope of their lives as dairy farmers.
    Cast: Hannes O?li A?gu?stsson, Guðmundur O?lafsson, Kjartan Bjargmundsson

    Mother Corn – Director: Guillermo Lecuona; Screenwriter: Tera Hollingsworth-Lecuona
    (USA, Mexico)
    A Triqui Indian teen wrestles spiritual visions that awaken appreciation for her grandmother and culture.
    Cast: Luz Mariana Santiago, Maria Concepcio?n Bautista Diaz, Tera Hollingsworth-Lecuona

    Moving – Director & Screenwriter: Marc Horowitz
    (USA) World Premiere
    A series of peripheral conversations between two workers on the job raises more questions than answers.
    Cast: Marc Horowitz, Chris Duce

    Not Funny – Director & Screenwriter: Carlos Violade? Guerrero
    (Spain)
    When a woman turns the tables on her prankster husband, they are both forced to live with the serious consequences of a practical joke.
    Cast: Mercedes Bernal, Andre?s Berlanga

    Odyssea – Director: Morrisa Maltz; Screenwriter: Jeffrey Paul King
    (USA) World Premiere
    A young woman returns to her idyllic hometown and undertakes a private venture that involves both real and imagined inhabitants from her past.
    Cast: Amy Ferguson, Natasha Warner, Beth Grant, Michael Chieffo

    Off Ground – Director: Boudewijn Koole; Screenwriters: Boudewijn Koole, Jakop Ahlbom (The Netherlands)
    A slender woman of 50 and a 12-year-old boy act as a single unit with one flowing movement, until suddenly they let go of each other.
    Cast: Louise Lecavalier, Antoine Masson

    Old Moon – Director & Screenwriter: Raisa Bonnet
    (Puerto Rico) North American Premiere
    A visit from her son-in-law and granddaughter causes Elsa, living deep in the mountains, to make a silent and dramatic decision.
    Cast: Mari?a Vela?zquez, Julio Ramos, Laura Cristina Cardona

    One Please – Director & Screenwriter: Jesse Burks
    (USA) World Premiere
    The perfect suburb has a rather gory method of currency when it comes to children’s treats. Cast: Michael Berryman, Sailor Holland, Catherine Burks, Langston Thompson

    Pink & Baby Blue – Director & Screenwriter: Catrin Hedstro?m
    (USA) World Premiere
    A transgendered woman decides between using the men’s restroom or the ladies’ restroom. Cast: Alexander Leonn, Emelie Berman, Carmen LoBue, Travis Stroessenreuther

    Pui – Director & Screenwriter: Rujiroj Thanasankittiwat
    (Thailand) World Premiere
    A mother’s attempt to discourage her daughter from acting like the neighborhood boys is successful, but only on the surface.
    Cast: Parida Manomaiphibul, Putaranun Chotiprapa, Nattapum Thabthim

    Trauma – Director & Screenwriter: Ethan Young
    (USA) World Premiere
    Proving that there’s nothing menacing in the attic of her childhood home is the only thing standing between Isabelle and freedom, but even with her doctor’s insistence, something still seems amiss.
    Cast: Allyn Morse, Michael T. Francis, Charlie Ellis

    The Voice Thief – Director & Screenwriter: Adan Jodorowsky
    (USA, France) US Premiere
    When an opera singer loses her voice, her husband embarks on an odyssey through Miami’s dark underworld to recover it through supernatural means.
    Cast: Asia Argento, Cristobal Jodorowsky, Helene Nymann, Jean Yves Thual

    The Walk – Director & Screenwriter: Mihaela Popescu
    (Romania) North American Premiere
    An old solitary woman feels the urge to go outside and feel alive again. Cast: Valeria Seciu, Sergiu Costache

    The Way – Director: Max Ksjonda; Screenwriters: Max Ksjonda, Ivan Timshyn
    (Ukraine)
    A neglected teenager makes a bet with his friends that leads him on a dangerous trip to another city.
    Cast: Evgeniy Gerasymenko, Evgeniy Efremov, Svitlana Shtanko, Victor Glushkov

    We Keep On Dancing – Director: Jessica Barclay Lawton; Screenwriter: Rhys Mitchell
    (Australia)
    Alan, a sensitive sculptor and grieving widower, connects with an aggressive mechanic in a rather unusual way.
    Cast: William Gluth, John Brumpton, Rhys Mitchell

    DOCUMENTARY SHORTS PROGRAM

    The Chaperone 3D – Directors & Screenwriters: Fraser Munden, Neil Rathbone
    (Canada) US Premiere
    The story of a lone teacher who is chaperoning a middle school dance in 1970s Montreal when it is invaded by a menacing motorcycle gang.
    Cast: Ralph Whims, Stefan Czernatowicz, Fred Nguyen, Yue Qi

    Glass Eyes of Locust Bayou – Director: Simon Mercer
    (Canada, UK)
    Bayou-based filmmaker Phil Chambliss makes movies which blur the line between good and evil in rural Arkansas.
    Cast: Phil Chambliss

    Jim Morris: Lifelong Fitness – Director: Ryan Vance
    (USA) World Premiere
    A former Mr. America and Mr. USA, amongst other impressive titles, Jim Morris is a 77-year-old vegan bodybuilder who continues to work today as a personal trainer in Venice, California.
    Cast: Jim Morris, Paul Lubowicki, John Lewis, John Balik

    Methel Island – Director: Meg Smaker
    (USA) World Premiere
    A meditation on the ravaging effects of meth in a small island community in the Sacramento Delta.

    Pablo’s Villa – Director: Matthew Salleh
    (Australia)
    Twenty-three years after the picturesque holiday town Villa Epecuen was submerged in front of Pablo’s eyes, the modern-day Atlantis re-emerges from the sea, preserving both his memories and his home.
    Cast: Pablo Novak

    Punches & Pedicures – Director: Ash Brandon
    (USA)
    An ex-Vietnamese gangster escapes to Defiance, Ohio where he now runs his own nail salon by day and trains at-risk youth in the brutal sport of Mixed Martial Arts by night.
    Cast: Victor Pham, Corey “KoKo” Simmons

    What I Hate About Myself – Directors: Ben Mullinkosson, Bobby Moser
    (China)
    A local Chinese TV station pairs with a cosmetic surgery sponsor for a contest in which the winner receives free surgery in the hope of looking more “Western.”

    White Earth – Director: J. Christian Jensen
    (USA) World Premiere
    Three kids and an immigrant mother offer a glimpse into their lives in this poetic and poignant portrait of North Dakota’s oil boom.
    Cast: James McClellan, Leevi Meyer, Elena Guadalupe Loaiza, Flor Loaiza

    ANIMATION SHORTS PROGRAM

    Another – Director: Sean Buckelew; Screenwriters: Sean Buckelew, Kevin Buckelew, Michelle Yu
    (USA) US Premiere
    A dreamlike narrative in which an intruding bear kills a family man and attempts to assume his role; mother and son try to adapt to the uneasy situation, but the threat of violence lingers. Cast: Ian McDuffie

    Butler, Woman, Man – Director: Michael Langan
    (France)
    A French cha?teau becomes a magical place of gliding servants and shifting physical spaces, creating a fascinating sense of displacement as a man becomes a butler, becomes a woman, becomes a man.
    Cast: Fabrice David, Amandine Bre?he?ret, Eric Larzat

    Lord I: The Records Keeper – Director & Screenwriter: Lori Damiano
    (USA)
    A colorful and mystical odyssey, dense and playfully-drawn: a woman weighed down by books and surrounded by her own mental projections attempts to find peace in the present moment.

    The Path of Wind – Director & Screenwriter: Kim Ju-im
    (South Korea) North American Premiere
    A human office chair unravels its legs and goes on a wildly imaginative psychedelic vision quest filled with both terror and beauty, leading to a transformation into a musical instrument of liberation.

    Salmon Deadly Sins – Director: Steven Vander Meer
    (USA) World Premiere
    Dreamy, gorgeously morphing fish imagery inspired by the seven deadly sins merges with floating anagrams, the entire piece hand-drawn on a series of 3×5 index cards.

    A Tongue Silent Like Your Words – Director: Vita Weichen Hsu
    (Taiwan, USA) World Premiere
    Two bodies grasp and entwine in an elegant and bizarre animated pencil drawing, intercut with evocative imagery of combat and escape.

    U U – Director: Yu Yu
    (UK) US Premiere
    A humorous story of a man gazing into a mirror and discovering all of the pairs on his body; the thought that he could be not one, but two people takes him on a journey through the world of flesh and back to his origins.

    Unicorn Blood – Director: Alberto Vazquez; Screenwriters: Alberto Vazquez, Pedro Rivero
    (Spain)
    Two squabbling teddy bears who must kill to maintain their cuteness hunt in a hallucinatory wilderness for their favorite prey.

    EXPERIMENTAL SHORTS PROGRAM

    Between Regularity and Irregularity – Director: Masahiro Tsutani
    (Japan) US Premiere
    An overwhelming experience of pleasure forms when the timing of improvised sounds deviates slightly from the timing one expects.

    Bird Shit – Director: Caleb Wood
    (USA)
    A study of birds through an arrangement of photos of bird shit.

    The Coral Reef Are Dreaming Again – Director & Screenwriter: Lucas Leyva
    (USA) World Premiere
    Two corals living in the underwater remains of Miami share their dreams of the city’s former inhabitants.
    Cast: Geraldo Pilatti, Fungia sp. stony coral, Epicystis crucifer anemones

    Flower – Director: Naoko Tasaka
    (USA)
    A quiet audio narrative about a hungry bear hypnotically collides with bold and evocative natural and geometric imagery.
    Cast: Lew Palter

    R/B/G – Director: Alejandro Pen?a
    (USA) World Premiere
    An assaultive freakout of planetary catastrophe embedded into television signals. Cast: Maui Gaona, Brandon Burgman, Idea Steele, Joey Casseb

    Ravel – Director: Gazelle Samizay
    (USA) World Premiere
    A woman traverses a multi-planar desert landscape in search of psychological release.

    Real Etheral – Director: Evan Mann
    (USA) World Premiere
    An otherworldly journey through a fantastical metaphysical realm saturated with mystery and transition.
    Cast: Deborah Mann, Evan Mann

    Rough Trade – Director & Screenwriter: Drew Lint
    (Canada)
    An impressionist and assaultive character transformation of a young street hustler into a branded member of a leather cult.
    Cast: Matt O’Connor

    Those People of the South – Director: Ashley Christopher Leach
    (USA) World Premiere
    A three-part examination and deconstruction of the filmmaker’s eccentric and troubling family utilizing a variety of home recordings.

    ANARCHY SHORTS PROGRAM

    After Arcadia – Directors & Screenwriters: Joe Tippett, Robert Brice
    (UK) World Premiere
    A lone scientist wracked with guilt over his part in the accidental extermination of humanity is hoping to rewrite history and erase his past mistakes.
    Cast: Adam Bacon, Ben Challen

    C#ckfight – Director: Julian Yuri Rodriguez; Screenwriters: Julian Yuri Rodriguez, Ariel Castro
    (USA)
    A deconstructed adaptation of “Dante’s Inferno,” taking place at a bath salt-fueled fighting ring in Miami’s underworld.
    Cast: Nassie Shahoulian, Badara Ndiaye

    Der Nachtmahr – Director & Screenwriter: Akiz Ikon
    (Germany) North American Premiere
    An indulgent teenage girl discovers her self through the disgusting creature that visits her at night.
    Cast: Carolyn Genzkow, Kim Gordon, Sina Tkotsch, Wilson Gonzalez Ochsenknecht

    OVO – Director: Mihai Wilson; Screenwriters: Mihai Wilson, Marcella Moser, Davide Di Saro
    (Canada) US Premiere
    Stranded, starving and facing certain death, three intergalactic criminals encounter an ominous harbinger of change for the fate of the universe.
    Cast: Kazumichi Nakashima, Stacy Lundeen, Ron Stone, Marie-France Tessier

    Wawd Ahp – Director & Screenwriter: Steve Girard
    (USA) World Premiere
    The filmmaker’s rap manifesto and a collection of animated sea creatures come to a grisly head. Cast: Steve Girard

    Welcome – Director: Rachel Ruizhen Ho
    (USA) World Premiere
    A beautiful boy emerges to find himself awash in a scene that may or may not be welcoming. Cast: Julian Petschek, Masa Fox, Chelsey Sullivan, Zane Johnson

    White Hot Grid – Director: Jess Iglehart
    (USA) World Premiere
    A false article of 1980s futurism, rattled apart by multiple generations of dubbing. Cast: Rachel Ho

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  • WAITING FOR MAMU, THESE STORIED STREETS Among Early Films for 2014 Sedona Intl Film Festival

     WAITING FOR MAMUWAITING FOR MAMU

    After nearly shutting its doors nine years ago because of severe financial challenges, the Sedona International Film Festival will celebrate its 20th anniversary from February 23 to March 2, 2014. Selections are underway for up to 160 films which will screen at the upcoming festival.  Films that have already been accepted into the Festival include THE GIRL ON THE BICYCLE from Nicholas Sparks who wrote The Notebook;  Forrest Whitaker’s new film, REPENTANCES; BRIDEGROOM from writer-producer-director Linda Bloodworth Thomason and her husband, Harry; and the premiere of THESE STORIED STREETS from producer Thomas Morgan. Morgan also produced WAITING FOR MAMU, a  documentary about what it means for a child to grow up in prison and the impact of Pushpa Basnet’s organization on those children.  

    Special events planned include presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Susan Sarandon, actress Shirley Knight will be honored at the Festival, a Tribute to MGM Musicals with awards to be presented in honor of former films stars and Sedona residents Donald O’Connor and Anne Miller, the Festival’s first Lifetime Achievement Award recipients. Country music star Brad Paisley, who has presented films at the Sedona International Film Festival in the past, will return this year to perform in a special benefit concert followed by a Q-and-A session.

     via sedona.biz

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  • Documentary-Musical About Indie Transgender Singer Rae Spoon to U.S. Premiere at 2014 Sundance Film Festival | WATCH Clips

    My Prairie Home, director Chelsea McMullan’s acclaimed National Film Board of Canada (NFB) documentary-musical about indie singer Rae Spoon 

    MY PRAIRIE HOME, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB)  documentary-musical about indie singer Rae Spoon, directed by Chelsea McMullan, will have its U.S. premiere in January 2014, at the Sundance Film Festival, as part of the festival’s World Cinema Documentary Competition.

    My Prairie Home, director Chelsea McMullan’s acclaimed National Film Board of Canada (NFB) documentary-musical about indie singer Rae Spoon

    In My Prairie Home, Toronto filmmaker Chelsea McMullan follows Montreal-based transgender performer Rae Spoon on a musical road trip across the Canadian Prairies. All along the way—in a Greyhound bus, the Tyrrell Dinosaur Museum in Drumheller, a bar in Regina, and at a performance in Winnipeg—McMullan’s camera is a constant companion. As the flat, straight prairie highway unfolds, McMullan guides audiences along the long and winding road of Spoon’s life. This playful, meditative and at times melancholic tale of Spoon’s queer and musical coming of age unfolds in interviews and songs, in live performance and fanciful music sequences. Spoon takes us through their childhood (Spoon prefers the use of the gender-neutral, third-person pronoun) growing up in an ultra-religious family, discovering their sexuality, their gender identity, and the crucial and inspiring leaps towards building a life of their own, as a musician and as a trans person.

     http://youtu.be/BCZiIuqsZF8

    —-

    The video for the first single, “ I Will Be a Wall,” is a clip from the documentary.

    http://youtu.be/1P7T93rrU7I

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  • Films and Installations Selected for New Frontier at 2014 Sundance Film Festival

     

    The Source (evolving) by artist Doug AitkenThe Source (evolving) by artist Doug Aitken

    The Sundance Film Festival unveiled the films and installations to be featured in the 2014 edition of New Frontier at the upcoming festival taking place January 16 to 26 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. New Frontier champions films that expand, experiment with, and explode traditional storytelling. The 2014 edition of New Frontier at the Sundance Film Festival will host the U.S. premiere of The Source (evolving) by renowned artist Doug Aitken. The Source (evolving) is a series of filmed conversations about creativity in the 21st Century in which Aitken conducts short candid conversations with groundbreaking pioneers in different artistic disciplines.  The  Festival will also include a Klip Collectives designed showcase of the Festival’s 30-year legacy as told through a pre-roll trailer showing 3D-mapped projections of clips from iconic Festival films on the façade of Park City’s legendary Egyptian Theatre. Featured film clips include Reservoir Dogs, Clerks, Little Miss Sunshine and Beasts of the Southern Wild. 

    NEW FRONTIER FILMS

    The Better Angels / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: A.J. Edwards) — Set in the harsh wilderness of Indiana, this is the story of Abraham Lincoln’s youth. It tells of the hardships that shaped him, the tragedy that marked him forever, and the two women who guided him to immortality. Cast: Jason Clarke, Diane Kruger, Brit Marling, Wes Bentley. World Premiere

    The Girl from Nagasaki / Germany, U.S.A., Japan, Italy (Director: Michel Comte, Screenwriters: Anne-Marie Mackay, Ayako Yoshida, Michel Comte) — This 3D feature film production of the classic Puccini opera Madame Butterfly is directed by world-renowned photographer Michel Comte. It’s a modern-day tale that starts with the young madame emerging from the ashes of the atomic bomb in Nagasaki. Cast: Christopher Lee, Sasha Alexander, Michael Wincott, Michael Nyqvist, Robert Evans, Polina Semionova. International Premiere

    HITRECORD ON TV / U.S.A.(Director: Joseph Gordon-Levitt) — HITRECORD ON TV is a new kind of variety show with host Joseph Gordon-Levitt directing a global online community of artists as they create short films, music, animation, and more. Anybody with an Internet connection is invited to contribute, and each episode focuses on a different theme. World Premiere

    Living Stars / Argentina (Directors: Mariano Cohn, Gastón Duprat) — Argentinians open their homes to the public and perform dance numbers they normally only do alone, in front of a mirror. The directors portray them in their houses, with improvised sets, revealing a collection of urban curiosities. World Premiere

    Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People / U.S.A. (Director: Thomas Allen Harris, Screenwriters: Thomas Allen Harris, Don Perry, Paul Carter Harrison) —Through a Lens Darkly is an epic film that moves poetically between the present and the past through the work of contemporary photographers and artists. Their pictures and stories seek to reconcile legacies of pride and shame while giving a voice to images long suppressed, forgotten, or hidden from sight. World Premiere

    ADDITIONAL NEW FRONTIER INSTALLATIONS

    Clouds
    Artists: James George, Jonathan Minard 
    Assembled from code and stunning 3D-scanned conversations, Clouds is a cutting-edge interactive documentary that features the emerging generation of artists and hackers who are creating tools for poetic and socially engaged experiments in technology.

    Digital Diaspora Family Reunion
    Artist: Thomas Allen Harris
    The transmedia companion to the feature documentary, Through A Lens Darkly, Digital Diaspora Family Reunion (DDFR) re-imagines the social network the the building of ONE WORLD-ONE FAMILY ALBUM, a database of family photographs. Audiences are invited to upload images to Instagram at #DDFRtv, or bring them to New Frontier to participate in a special LIVE event.

    EVE: Valkyrie
    Artists: CCP Games
    In one of the most anticipated video-game releases of 2014, award-winning Icelandic independent-game developer CCP Games presents EVE: Valkyrie—a virtual-reality experience like no other. In this special preview, audiences can put on an Oculus Rift headset, take a seat inside the cockpit of a spaceship, and enter a 360-degree-surround dogfight against enemy invaders.

    I Love Your Work
    Artist: Jonathan Harris
    I Love Your Work is a beautifully designed interactive documentary by Jonathan Harris about the private lives of nine women who make lesbian porn. It consists of more than two thousand 10-second video clips, taken at five-minute intervals over 10 consecutive days—around six hours of footage. Cast: Dylan Ryan, Jincey Lumpkin, Ela Darling, Ryan Keely.

    I Want You To Want Me
    Artists: Jonathan Harris, Sep Kamvar
    An alluring work of data visualization, this interactive installation explores the world of online dating. A giant touch screen displays a sky filled with balloons containing silhouettes, each one representing a real person’s dating profile. Viewers can touch the balloons to learn personal information about the person inside and rearrange them to view things like top turn-ons, most popular first dates, and people’s biggest desires.

    The Measure of All Things
    Artists: Sam Green, yMusic
    The Measure of All Things is a live documentary featuring a series of portraits of record-holding people, places, and things. Inspired loosely by the Guinness Book of Records, Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Sam Green and yMusic create a poem about fate, time, and the contours of the human experience.

    Mesocosm
    Artist: Marina Zurkow
    Mesocosm (Wink, Texas) and Mesocosm (Northumberland, UK) are two parts of a series of animated landscapes that change over time in response to software-driven data inputs. Individual hand-drawn animated elements are dynamically choreographed according to algorithms that dictate constraints in real time: one day takes 24 minutes to elapse; a year takes 144 hours.

    My 52 Tuesdays
    Artists: Sophie Hyde, Sam Haren, Dan Koerner
    Picture an interactive photo booth where you get more than just your printed picture. It’s a year-long, participatory project accessed via smartphones with a series of questions designed to ‘’tune in” to your life. Like its companion film, 52 Tuesdays, this work explores themes of desire, responsibility, and transformation. How much are you willing to share? Cast: Tilda Cobham-Hervey.

    Not Eye
    Artist: Lauren Moffatt
    Not Eye is an immersive, 3D stereoscopic experience that invites you to meet a woman who can no longer take the constant violation of being looked at and spied on every day of her life by the devices that populate the modern landscape. She is so tormented that she decides to take action, creating a helmet designed not only to defend herself but also to strike back. Cast:Danièle Hennebelle, Julien Bucci.

    Reifying Desire Anthology
    Artist: Jacolby Satterwhite
    Comprised of live performance, custom-made wallpaper, and six CGI-animated and rotoscoped videos, Reifying Desire Anthology is a fantasy hyperlink that transcends brick and mortar, as well as electronic and biological realms, to source a universe where sexuality runs hungry and wild through the psycho-bioelectric matrix seeking transformation and liberation. Cast: Jacolby Satterwhite, Antonio Biaggi.

    Sound + Vision
    Artists: Chris Milk, Beck
    When Beck reimagined David Bowie’s 1977 single “Sound and Vision,” Chris Milk set out to recreate its experience—literally its sound and vision—for both the live concert and its recording. He captured the performance using newly patented technologies like full spherical video and 360-degree binaural audio. This is the first live-action VR film designed for the Oculus Rift. Cast: Beck.

    Street
    Artist: James Nares
    Street employs a high-speed Phantom Flex HD camera to slow down the densely busy streets of New York City and create this mesmerizing video installation. Hot dog vendors, children on scooters, lovers, fighters, pigeons, bike riders, traffic cops, even a flicked cigarette butt sailing onto the curb—all acquire an ethereal dimension enhanced by cofounder of Sonic Youth Thurston Moore’s evocative, acoustic 12-string guitar soundtrack.

    This World Made Itself; Myth and Infrastructure; Dreams of Lucid Living
    Artist: Miwa Matreyek
    In a body of work that spans six years, Miwa Matreyek will present three of her multimedia solo live performance pieces featuring projected animation and her body, traversing ocean scapes, cityscapes, and dreamscapes. Cast: Miwa Matreyek

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  • New “Sundance Kids” Section Added to 2014 Sundance Film Festival

     ERNEST AND CELESTINE  (Directors: Benjamin Renner, Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar) ERNEST AND CELESTINE (Directors: Benjamin Renner, Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar)

    The Sundance Film Festival has added a new section for younger audiences called “Sundance Kids” to the 2014 festival. The inaugural “Sundance Kids” section features the World Premiere of the English-language version of the acclaimed ERNEST AND CELESTINE  (Directors: Benjamin Renner, Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar) and the U.S. Premiere of ZIP & ZAP AND THE MARBLE GANG (Director: Oskar Santos), and will be part of the 2014 Festival, running from January 16-26 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.

    “Sundance Kids” is programmed with the Utah Film Center’s year-round Tumbleweeds program for children and youth, which includes an annual Film Festival and monthly screenings in Salt Lake City, Orem, Moab, Price, Park City and Kamas, UT. The annual Tumbleweeds Film Festival is the only film festival in the Intermountain West that presents films specifically for children and youth.   

    Ernest and Celestine / France, Belgium, Luxembourg (Directors: Benjamin Renner, Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, Screenwriter: Daniel Pennac) – Unlike her fellow mice, Celestine is an artist and a dreamer. When she nearly ends up as breakfast for a bear named Ernest, the two form an unlikely bond that is quickly challenged by their respective communities.  Cast: Forest Whitaker, Mackenzie Foy, Lauren Bacall, Paul Giamatti, William H. Macy, Megan Mullally. Recommended for ages 8+.

    Zip & Zap and the Marble Gang / Spain (Director: Oskar Santos, Screenwriters: Francisco Roncal, Jorge Lara, Oskar Santos)

    Zip & Zap and the Marble Gang / Spain (Director: Oskar Santos, Screenwriters: Francisco Roncal, Jorge Lara, Oskar Santos) – Zip and Zap are punished by being sent to a re-education center. Guided by intelligence, they uncover a mysterious secret hidden deep within the school and end up having the most exciting adventure of their lives. Cast: Javier Gutiérrez, Daniel Cerezo, Raúl Rivas, Claudia Vega, Marcos Ruiz, Fran García. Recommended for ages 9+.

     

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  • 2014 Sundance Film Festival Unveils Films in Spotlight, Park City at Midnight and New ‘Sundance Kids’ Section

     Blue Ruin / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jeremy Saulnier)Blue Ruin / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jeremy Saulnier)

    Sundance Film Festival announced the films selected to screen in the out-of-competition sections Spotlight, Park City at Midnight and new ‘Sundance Kids’ section of films for younger audiences at the upcoming 2014 festival. The Festival takes place January 16-26 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.

    Trevor Groth, Director of Programming for the Sundance Film Festival, said, “The films in the sections announced today round out our 2014 Sundance Film Festival program and further reflect the depth and diversity of modern independent filmmaking that will satisfy everyone from festival fledglings to fanatics.”

    SPOTLIGHT
    Regardless of where these films have played throughout the world, the Spotlight program is a tribute to the cinema we love.

    Blue Ruin / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jeremy Saulnier) — A mysterious outsider’s quiet life turns upside down when he returns to his childhood home to carry out an act of vengeance. Proving to be an amateur assassin, he winds up in a brutal fight to protect his estranged family. Cast: Macon Blair, Amy Hargreaves, Sidné Anderson, Devin Ratray, Kevin Kolack.

    The Double / United Kingdom (Director: Richard Ayoade, Screenwriter: Avi Korine) — Jesse Eisenberg plays Simon, a timid and isolated man who is overlooked at work. When James, a new coworker arrives, he upsets the balance because he is both Simon’s physical double and his opposite: confident and good with women. Then James slowly starts taking over Simon’s life. Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Mia Wasikowska, Wallace Shawn, Noah Taylor, Cathy Moriarty, James Fox.

    Ida / Poland (Director: Pawel Pawlikowski, Screenwriters: Pawel Pawlikowski, Rebecca Lenkiewicz) — Anna, a young novitiate nun in 1960s Poland, is on the verge of taking her vows when she discovers a dark family secret dating back to the years of the Nazi occupation. Cast: Agata Kulesza, Agata Trzebuchowska, Dawid Ogrodnik.

    Locke / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Steven Knight) — Locke is a feat of dynamic storytelling from Academy Award–nominated writer/director Steven Knight, anchored by Tom Hardy’s fantastic performance. Unfolding in real time, the film is a gripping story of choices, consequences, and a man who risks everything he holds dear to do the right thing. Cast: Tom Hardy, Ruth Wilson, Olivia Colman, Andrew Scott, Tom Holland, Bill Milner.

    The Lunchbox / India, France, Germany (Director and screenwriter: Ritesh Batra) — A mistake made by the dabbawallahs, Mumbai’s famously efficient lunchbox delivery system, connects a young housewife to a stranger in the dusk of his life. Through notes in the lunchbox, the two build a fantasy world that gradually threatens to overwhelm their reality. Cast: Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Denzil Smith, Bharati Achrekar, Nakul Vaid Nakul Vaid.

    Only Lovers Left Alive / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jim Jarmusch) — Set against the desolation of Detroit and Tangier, an underground musician, depressed by the direction the world is taking, reunites with his lover. Their love story has endured for centuries, but the woman’s uncontrollable sister disrupts their idyll. Can these wise outsiders continue to survive as the world collapses around them? Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton, Mia Wasikowska, John Hurt, Anton Yelchin, Jeffrey Wright.

    R100 / Japan (Director and screenwriter: Hitoshi Matsumoto) — A mild-mannered family man with a secret taste for S&M finds himself pursued by a gang of ruthless dominatrices—each with a unique talent—in this hilarious and bizarre take on the sex comedy from Japanese comic mastermind Hitoshi Matsumoto. Cast: Nao Ohmori, Lindsay Kay Hayward, Hairi Katagiri.

    Stranger by the Lake / France (Director and screenwriter: Alain Guiraudie) — Frank spends his summer searching for companionship at a lake in France. He meets Michel, an attractive, mysterious man and falls blindly in love. When a death occurs, Frank and Michel become the primary suspects. Stranger by the Lake is an erotic thriller testing the limits of sexual desire.Cast: Pierre Deladonchamps, Christophe Paou, Patrick d’Assumçao.

    PARK CITY AT MIDNIGHT
    From horror flicks to comedies to works that defy any genre, these unruly films will keep you edge-seated and wide awake. Each is a world premiere.

    The Babadook / Australia (Director and screenwriter: Jennifer Kent) — A single mother, plagued by the violent death of her husband, battles with her son’s fear of a monster lurking in the house, but soon discovers a sinister presence all around her. Cast: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Daniel Henshall, Hayley McElhinney, Barbara West, Ben Winspear.

    Cooties / U.S.A. (Directors: Jonathan Millott, Cary Murnion, Screenwriters: Leigh Whannell, Ian Brennan) Cooties / U.S.A. (Directors: Jonathan Millott, Cary Murnion, Screenwriters: Leigh Whannell, Ian Brennan)

    Cooties / U.S.A. (Directors: Jonathan Millott, Cary Murnion, Screenwriters: Leigh Whannell, Ian Brennan) — A mysterious virus hits an isolated elementary school and transforms the students into a feral swarm of mass savages; then an unlikely hero must lead a motley band of teachers in the fight of their lives. Cast: Elijah Wood, Rainn Wilson, Alison Pill, Jack McBrayer, Leigh Whannell, Nasim Pedrad.

    Dead Snow; Red vs. Dead / Norway (Director: Tommy Wirkola, Screenwriters: Tommy Wirkola, Stig Frode Henriksen, Vegar Hoel) — The gruesome Nazi Zombies are back to finish their mission, but our hero is not willing to die. He is gathering his own army to give them a final fight. Cast: Vegar Hoel, Stig Frode Henriksen, Martin Starr, Ørjan Gamst, Monica Haas, Jocelyn DeBoer.

    The Guest / U.S.A. (Director: Adam Wingard, Screenwriter: Simon Barrett) — A soldier on leave befriends the family of a fallen comrade. He soon becomes a threat to everyone around him when it’s revealed he’s not who he says he is. Cast: Dan Stevens, Maika Monroe, Leland Orser, Lance Reddick, Chase Williamson, Brendan Meyer.

    Killers / Japan, Indonesia (Directors: The Mo Brothers, Screenwriters: Timo Tjahjanto, Takuji Ushiyama) — Two serial killers post their violent crimes online in a psychotic battle for notoriety. It soon becomes clear that they will square off with one another face to face. Cast: Kazuki Kitamura, Oka Antara, Rin Takanashi, Luna Maya, Ray Sahetapy.

    The Signal / U.S.A. (Director: William Eubank, Screenwriters: William Eubank, Carlyle Eubank, David Frigerio) — Three college students disappear under mysterious circumstances while tracking a computer hacker through the Southwest. Cast: Laurence Fishburne, Brenton Thwaites, Olivia Cooke, Beau Knapp.

    Under the Electric Sky (EDC 2013) / U.S.A. (Directors: Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz) — This 3-D film chronicles the love, community, and life of festivalgoers during Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas, the largest music festival in the U.S. Behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive interviews with Insomniac’s Pasquale Rotella reveal the magic that makes this three-night, 345,000-person event a global phenomenon.

    What We Do in the Shadows / New Zealand, U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement) — This mockumentary follows the struggles of a group of New Zealand–based vampires to understand modern society and adapt to the ever-changing world around them. Cast: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Jonny Brugh, Cori Gonzales-Macuer, Stu Rutherford.

    SUNDANCE KIDS
    To reach our youngest independent film fans, we have created a new section of the Festival especially for them. Programmed in cooperation with Tumbleweeds, Utah’s premiere film festival for children and youth.

    Ernest and Celestine / France, Belgium, Luxembourg (Directors: Benjamin Renner, Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, Screenwriter: Daniel Pennac) — Unlike her fellow mice, Celestine is an artist and a dreamer. When she nearly ends up as breakfast for a bear named Ernest, the two form an unlikely bond that is quickly challenged by their respective communities. Cast: Forest Whitaker, Mackenzie Foy, Lauren Bacall, Paul Giamatti, William H. Macy, Megan Mullally. World Premiere (English version)

    Zip & Zap and the Marble Gang / Spain (Director: Oskar Santos, Screenwriters: Francisco Roncal, Jorge Lara, Oskar Santos) Zip & Zap and the Marble Gang / Spain (Director: Oskar Santos, Screenwriters: Francisco Roncal, Jorge Lara, Oskar Santos)

    Zip & Zap and the Marble Gang / Spain (Director: Oskar Santos, Screenwriters: Francisco Roncal, Jorge Lara, Oskar Santos) — Zip and Zap are punished by being sent to a re-education center. Guided by intelligence, they uncover a mysterious secret hidden deep within the school and end up having the most exciting adventure of their lives. Cast: Javier Gutiérrez, Daniel Cerezo, Raúl Rivas, Claudia Vega, Marcos Ruiz, Fran García. U.S. Premiere

     

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  • Films in U.S. and World Competitions, NEXT Unveiled for 2014 Sundance Film Festival

    Camp X-Ray / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Peter Sattler) Camp X-Ray / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Peter Sattler)  

    Sundance Film Festival, celebrating its 30th anniversary, unveiled the films selected for the U.S. and World Cinema Dramatic and Documentary Competitions and the out-of-competition NEXT <=> section of the 2014 festival taking place, January 16 to 26 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.  For the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, 118 feature-length films were selected from 4,057 feature-length films submissions.

    Robert Redford, President & Founder of Sundance Institute said, “That the Festival has evolved and grown as it has over the past 30 years is a credit to both our audiences and our artists, who continue to find ways to take risks and open our minds to the power of story. This year’s films and artists promise to do the same.”

    U.S. DRAMATIC COMPETITION 

    Presenting the world premieres of 16 narrative feature films, the Dramatic Competition offers Festivalgoers a first look at groundbreaking new voices in American independent film.

    Camp X-Ray / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Peter Sattler) — A young woman is stationed as a guard in Guantanamo Bay, where she forms an unlikely friendship with one of the detainees. Cast: Kristen Stewart, Payman Maadi, Lane Garrison, J.J. Soria, John Carroll Lynch.

    Cold in July / U.S.A. (Director: Jim Mickle, Screenwriters: Jim Mickle, Nick Damici) — After killing a home intruder, a small town Texas man’s life unravels into a dark underworld of corruption and violence. Cast: Michael C. Hall, Don Johnson, Sam Shepard, Vinessa Shaw, Nick Damici, Wyatt Russell.

    Dear White People/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Justin Simien) — Four black students attend an Ivy League college where a riot breaks out over an “African American” themed party thrown by white students. With tongue planted firmly in cheek, the film explores racial identity in postracial America while weaving a story about forging one’s unique path in the world. Cast: Tyler Williams, Tessa Thompson, Teyonah Parris, Brandon Bell.

    Fishing Without Nets / U.S.A., Somalia, Kenya (Director: Cutter Hodierne, Screenwriters: Cutter Hodierne, John Hibey, David Burkman) — A story of pirates in Somalia told from the perspective of a struggling, young Somali fisherman. Cast: Abdikani Muktar, Abdi Siad, Abduwhali Faarah, Abdikhadir Hassan, Reda Kateb, Idil Ibrahim.

    God’s Pocket/ U.S.A. (Director: John Slattery, Screenwriters: John Slattery, Alex Metcalf) — When Mickey’s stepson Leon is killed in a construction “accident,” Mickey tries to bury the bad news with the body. But when the boy’s mother demands the truth, Mickey finds himself stuck between a body he can’t bury, a wife he can’t please, and a debt he can’t pay. Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Richard Jenkins, Christina Hendricks, John Turturro.

    Happy Christmas / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Joe Swanberg) — After a breakup with her boyfriend, a young woman moves in with her older brother, his wife, and their 2-year-old son.Cast: Anna Kendrick, Melanie Lynskey, Mark Webber, Lena Dunham, Joe Swanberg.

    Hellion / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kat Candler) — When motocross and heavy metal obsessed, 13-year-old Jacob’s delinquent behavior forces CPS to place his little brother Wes with his aunt, Jacob and his emotionally absent father must finally take responsibility for their actions and each other in order to bring Wes home. Cast: Aaron Paul, Juliette Lewis, Josh Wiggins, Deke Garner, Jonny Mars, Walt Roberts.

    Infinitely Polar Bear / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Maya Forbes) — A manic-depressive mess of a father tries to win back his wife by attempting to take full responsibility of their two young, spirited daughters, who don’t make the overwhelming task any easier. Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana, Imogene Wolodarsky, Ashley Aufderheide.

    Jamie Marks is Dead / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Carter Smith) — No one seemed to care about Jamie Marks until after his death. Hoping to find the love and friendship he never had in life, Jamie’s ghost visits former classmate Adam McCormick, drawing him into the bleak world between the living and the dead. Cast: Cameron Monaghan, Noah Silver, Morgan Saylor, Judy Greer, Madisen Beaty, Liv Tyler.

    Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter/ U.S.A. (Director: David Zellner, Screenwriters: David Zellner, Nathan Zellner) — A lonely Japanese woman becomes convinced that a satchel of money buried in a fictional film is, in fact, real. Abandoning her structured life in Tokyo for the frozen Minnesota wilderness, she embarks on an impulsive quest to search for her lost mythical fortune. Cast: Rinko Kikuchi.

    Life After Beth / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jeff Baena) — Zach is devastated by the unexpected death of his girlfriend, Beth. When she mysteriously returns, he gets a second chance at love. Soon his whole world turns upside down… Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Dane DeHaan, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, Cheryl Hines, Paul Reiser.

    Low Down / U.S.A. (Director: Jeff Preiss, Screenwriters: Amy Albany, Topper Lilien) — Based on Amy Jo Albany’s memoir, Low Down explores her heart-wrenching journey to adulthood while being raised by her father, bebop pianist Joe Albany, as he teeters between incarceration and addiction in the urban decay and waning bohemia of Hollywood in the 1970s. Cast: John Hawkes, Elle Fanning, Glenn Close, Lena Headey, Peter Dinklage, Flea.

    The Skeleton Twins / U.S.A. (Director: Craig Johnson, Screenwriters: Craig Johnson, Mark Heyman) — Estranged twins Maggie and Milo coincidentally cheat death on the same day, prompting them to reunite and confront the reasons their lives went so wrong. As the twins’ reunion reinvigorates them, they realize the key to fixing their lives may just lie in repairing their relationship. Cast: Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Luke Wilson, Ty Burrell, Boyd Holbrook, Joanna Gleason.

    The Sleepwalker / U.S.A., Norway (Director: Mona Fastvold, Screenwriters: Mona Fastvold, Brady Corbet) — A young couple, Kaia and Andrew, are renovating Kaia´s secluded family estate. Their lives are violently interrupted when unexpected guests arrive. The Sleepwalkerchronicles the unraveling of the lives of four disparate characters as it transcends genre conventions and narrative contrivance to reveal something much more disturbing. Cast: Gitte Witt, Christopher Abbott, Brady Corbet, Stephanie Ellis.

    Song One / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kate Barker-Froyland) — Estranged from her family, Franny returns home when an accident leaves her brother comatose. Retracing his life as an aspiring musician, she tracks down his favorite musician, James Forester. Against the backdrop of Brooklyn’s music scene, Franny and James develop an unexpected relationship and face the realities of their lives. Cast: Anne Hathaway, Johnny Flynn, Mary Steenburgen, Ben Rosenfield.

    Whiplash / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Damien Chazelle) — Under the direction of a ruthless instructor, a talented young drummer begins to pursue perfection at any cost, even his humanity. Cast: Miles Teller, JK Simmons. DAY ONE FILM

    U.S. DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION 
    Sixteen world-premiere American documentaries that illuminate the ideas, people, and events that shape the present day.

    Alive Inside: A Story of Music & Memory / U.S.A. (Director: Michael Rossato-Bennett) — Five million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia—many of them alone in nursing homes. A man with a simple idea discovers that songs embedded deep in memory can ease pain and awaken these fading minds. Joy and life are resuscitated, and our cultural fears over aging are confronted.

    All the Beautiful Things / U.S.A. (Director: John Harkrider) — John and Barron are lifelong friends whose friendship is tested when Barron’s girlfriend says Barron put a knife to her throat and raped her. Not knowing she has lied, John tells her to go to the police. Years later, John and Barron meet in a bar to resolve the betrayal.

    CAPTIVATED The Trials of Pamela Smart  / U.S.A., United Kingdom (Director: Jeremiah Zagar) — In an extraordinary and tragic American story, a small town murder becomes one of the highest profile cases of all time. From its historic role as the first televised trial to the many books and movies made about it, the film looks at the media’s enduring impact on the case.

    The Case Against 8 / U.S.A. (Directors: Ben Cotner, Ryan White) — A behind-the-scenes look inside the case to overturn California’s ban on same-sex marriage. Shot over five years, the film follows the unlikely team that took the first federal marriage equality lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme Court.

    Cesar’s Last Fast / U.S.A. (Directors: Richard Ray Perez, Lorena Parlee) — Inspired by Catholic social teaching, Cesar Chavez risked his life fighting for America’s poorest workers. The film illuminates the intensity of one man’s devotion and personal sacrifice, the birth of an economic justice movement, and tells an untold chapter in the story of civil rights in America.

    Dinosaur 13 / U.S.A. (Director: Todd Miller) — The true tale behind one of the greatest discoveries in history. DAY ONE FILM

    E-TEAM / U.S.A. (Directors: Katy Chevigny, Ross Kauffman) — E-TEAM is driven by the high-stakes investigative work of four intrepid human rights workers, offering a rare look at their lives at home and their dramatic work in the field.

    Fed Up / U.S.A. (Director: Stephanie Soechtig) — Fed Up blows the lid off everything we thought we knew about food and weight loss, revealing a 30-year campaign by the food industry, aided by the U.S. government, to mislead and confuse the American public, resulting in one of the largest health epidemics in history.

    The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz / U.S.A. (Director: Brian Knappenberger) — Programming prodigy and information activist Aaron Swartz achieved groundbreaking work in social justice and political organizing. His passion for open access ensnared him in a legal nightmare that ended with the taking of his own life at the age of 26.

    Ivory Tower / U.S.A. (Director: Andrew Rossi) — As tuition spirals upward and student debt passes a trillion dollars, students and parents ask, “Is college worth it?” From the halls of Harvard to public and private colleges in financial crisis to education startups in Silicon Valley, an urgent portrait emerges of a great American institution at the breaking point.

    Marmato / U.S.A. (Director: Mark Grieco) — Colombia is the center of a new global gold rush, and Marmato, a historic mining town, is the new frontier. Filmed over the course of nearly six years, Marmato chronicles how townspeople confront a Canadian mining company that wants the $20 billion in gold beneath their homes.

    No No: A Dockumentary / U.S.A. (Director: Jeffrey Radice) — Dock Ellis pitched a no-hitter on LSD, then worked for decades counseling drug abusers. Dock’s soulful style defined 1970s baseball as he kept hitters honest and embarrassed the establishment. An ensemble cast of teammates, friends, and family investigate his life on the field, in the media, and out of the spotlight.

    The Overnighters / U.S.A. (Director: Jesse Moss) — Desperate, broken men chase their dreams and run from their demons in the North Dakota oil fields. A local Pastor’s decision to help them has extraordinary and unexpected consequences.

    Private Violence / U.S.A. (Director: Cynthia Hill) — One in four women experience violence in their homes. Have you ever asked, “Why doesn’t she just leave?” Private Violence shatters the brutality of our logic and intimately reveals the stories of two women: Deanna Walters, who transforms from victim to survivor, and Kit Gruelle, who advocates for justice.

    Rich Hill / U.S.A. (Directors: Andrew Droz Palermo, Tracy Droz Tragos) — In a rural, American town, kids face heartbreaking choices, find comfort in the most fragile of family bonds, and dream of a future of possibility.

    Watchers of the Sky / U.S.A. (Director: Edet Belzberg) — Five interwoven stories of remarkable courage from Nuremberg to Rwanda, from Darfur to Syria, and from apathy to action.

    WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC COMPETITION 
    Twelve films from emerging filmmaking talents around the world offer fresh perspectives and inventive styles.

    52 Tuesdays / Australia (Director: Sophie Hyde, Screenplay and story by: Matthew Cormack, Story by: Sophie Hyde) — Sixteen-year-old Billie’s reluctant path to independence is accelerated when her mother reveals plans for gender transition, and their time together becomes limited to Tuesdays. This emotionally charged story of desire, responsibility, and transformation was filmed over the course of a year—once a week, every week, only on Tuesdays. Cast: Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Del Herbert-Jane, Imogen Archer, Mario Späte, Beau Williams, Sam Althuizen. International Premiere

    Blind / Norway, Netherlands (Director and screenwriter: Eskil Vogt) — Having recently lost her sight, Ingrid retreats to the safety of her home—a place she can feel in control, alone with her husband and her thoughts. But Ingrid’s real problems lie within, not beyond the walls of her apartment, and her deepest fears and repressed fantasies soon take over. Cast: Ellen Dorrit Petersen, Henrik Rafaelsen, Vera Vitali, Marius Kolbenstvedt. World Premiere

    Difret / Ethiopia (Director and screenwriter: Zeresenay Berhane Mehari) — Meaza Ashenafi is a young lawyer who operates under the government’s radar helping women and children until one young girl’s legal case exposes everything, threatening not only her career but her survival.Cast: Meron Getnet, Tizita Hagere. World Premiere

    The Disobedient/ Serbia (Director and screenwriter: Mina Djukic) — Leni anxiously waits for her childhood friend Lazar, who is coming back to their hometown after years of studying abroad. After they reunite, they embark on a random bicycle trip around their childhood haunts, which will either exhaust or reinvent their relationship. Cast: Hana Selimovic, Mladen Sovilj, Minja Subota, Danijel Sike, Ivan Djordjevic. World Premiere

    God Help the Girl / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Stuart Murdoch) — This musical from Stuart Murdoch of Belle & Sebastian is about some messed up boys and girls and the music they made. Cast: Emily Browning, Olly Alexander, Hannah Murray, Cora Bissett, Pierre Boulanger. World Premiere

    Liar’s Dice / India (Director and screenwriter: Geetu Mohandas) — Kamala, a young woman from the village of Chitkul, leaves her native land with her daughter to search for her missing husband. Along the journey, they encounter Nawazudin, a free-spirited army deserter with his own selfish motives who helps them reach their destination. Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Geetanjali Thapa, Manya Gupta. International Premiere

    Lilting / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Hong Khaou) — The world of a Chinese mother mourning the untimely death of her son is suddenly disrupted by the presence of a stranger who doesn’t speak her language. Lilting is a touching and intimate film about finding the things that bring us together. Cast: Ben Whishaw, Pei-Pei Cheng, Andrew Leung, Peter Bowles, Naomi Christie, Morven Christie. World Premiere. DAY ONE FILM

    Lock Charmer (El cerrajero)/ Argentina (Director and screenwriter: Natalia Smirnoff) — Upon learning that his girlfriend is pregnant, 33-year-old locksmith Sebastian begins to have strange visions about his clients. With the help of an unlikely assistant, he sets out to use his newfound talent for his own good. Cast: Esteban Lamothe, Erica Rivas, Yosiria Huaripata. World Premiere

    To Kill a Man / Chile, France (Director and screenwriter: Alejandro Fernandez Almendras) — When Jorge, a hardworking family man who’s barely making ends meet, gets mugged by Kalule, a neighborhood delinquent, Jorge’s son decides to confront the attacker, only to get himself shot. Even though Jorge’s son nearly dies, Kalule’s sentence is minimal, heightening the friction. Cast: Daniel Candia, Daniel Antivilo, Alejandra Yañez, Ariel Mateluna. World Premiere

    Viktoria / Bulgaria, Romania (Director and screenwriter: Maya Vitkova) — Although determined not to have a child in Communist Bulgaria, Boryana gives birth to Viktoria, who despite being born with no umbilical cord, is proclaimed to be the baby of the decade. But political collapse and the hardships of the new time bind mother and daughter together. Cast: Irmena Chichikova, Daria Vitkova, Kalina Vitkova, Mariana Krumova, Dimo Dimov, Georgi Spassov. World Premiere

    Wetlands / Germany (Director: David Wnendt, Screenwriters: Claus Falkenberg, David Wnendt, based on the novel by Charlotte Roche) — Meet Helen Memel. She likes to experiment with vegetables while masturbating and thinks that bodily hygiene is greatly overrated. She shocks those around her by speaking her mind in a most unladylike manner on topics that many people would not even dare consider. Cast: Carla Juri, Christoph Letkowski, Meret Becker, Axel Milberg, Marlen Kruse, Edgar Selge. North American Premiere

    White Shadow / Italy, Germany, Tanzania (Director: Noaz Deshe, Screenwriters: Noaz Deshe, James Masson) — Alias is a young albino boy on the run. His mother has sent him away to find refuge in the city after witnessing his father’s murder. Over time, the city becomes no different than the bush: wherever Alias travels, the same rules of survival apply. Cast: Hamisi Bazili, James Gayo, Glory Mbayuwayu, Salum Abdallah. International Premiere

    WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
    Twelve documentaries by some of the most courageous and extraordinary international filmmakers working today.

    20,000 Days On Earth / United Kingdom (Directors: Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard) — Drama and reality combine in a fictitious 24 hours in the life of musician and international culture icon Nick Cave. With startlingly frank insights and an intimate portrayal of the artistic process, this film examines what makes us who we are and celebrates the transformative power of the creative spirit. World Premiere

    Concerning Violence / Sweden, U.S.A., Denmark, Finland (Director: Göran Hugo Olsson) —Concerning Violence is based on newly discovered, powerful archival material documenting the most daring moments in the struggle for liberation in the Third World, accompanied by classic text from The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon. World Premiere

    The Green Prince / Germany, Israel, United Kingdom (Director: Nadav Schirman ) — This real-life thriller tells the story of one of Israel’s prized intelligence sources, recruited to spy on his own people for more than a decade. Focusing on the complex relationship with his handler, The Green Prince is a gripping account of terror, betrayal, and unthinkable choices, along with a friendship that defies all boundaries. World Premiere. DAY ONE FILM

    Happiness / France, Finland (Director: Thomas Balmès) — Peyangki is a dreamy and solitary eight-year-old monk living in Laya, a Bhutanese village perched high in the Himalayas. Soon the world will come to him: the village is about to be connected to electricity, and the first television will flicker on before Peyangki’s eyes. North American Premiere

    Love Child / South Korea, U.S.A. (Director: Valerie Veatch) — In Seoul in the Republic of Korea, a young couple stands accused of neglect when “Internet addiction” in an online fantasy game costs the life of their infant daughter. Love Child documents the 2010 trial and subsequent ruling that set a global precedent in a world where virtual is the new reality. World Premiere

    Mr leos caraX / France (Director: Tessa Louise-Salomé) — Mr leos caraX plunges us into the poetic and visionary world of a mysterious, solitary filmmaker who was already a cult figure from his very first film. Punctuated by interviews and previously unseen footage, this documentary is most of all a fine-tuned exploration of the poetic and visionary world of Leos Carax, alias Mr. X. World Premiere

    My Prairie Home / Canada (Director: Chelsea McMullan) — A poetic journey through landscapes both real and emotional, Chelsea McMullan’s documentary/musical offers an intimate portrait of transgender singer Rae Spoon, framed by stunning images of the Canadian prairies. McMullan’s imaginative visual interpretations of Spoon’s songs make this an unforgettable look at a unique Canadian artist. International Premiere

    The Notorious Mr. Bout / U.S.A., Russia (Directors: Tony Gerber, Maxim Pozdorovkin ) — Viktor Bout was a war profiteer, an entrepreneur, an aviation tycoon, an arms dealer, and—strangest of all—a documentary filmmaker. The Notorious Mr. Bout is the ultimate rags-to-riches-to-prison memoir, documented by the last man you’d expect to be holding the camera. World Premiere

    The Return to Homs / Syria, Germany (Director: Talal Derki) — Basset Sarout, the 19-year-old national football team goalkeeper, becomes a demonstration leader and singer, and then a fighter. Ossama, a 24-year-old renowned citizen cameraman, is critical, a pacifist, and ironic until he is detained by the regime’s security forces. North American Premiere

    SEPIDEH – Reaching for the Stars / Denmark (Director: Berit Madsen) — Sepideh wants to become an astronaut. As a young Iranian woman, she knows it’s dangerous to challenge traditions and expectations. Still, Sepideh holds on to her dream. She knows a tough battle is ahead, a battle that only seems possible to win once she seeks help from an unexpected someone. North American Premiere

    We Come as Friends / France, Austria (Director: Hubert Sauper) — We Come as Friends views colonization as a human phenomenon through both explicit and metaphoric lenses without oversimplified accusations or political theorizing. Alarmingly, It is not a historical film since colonization and the slave trade still exist. World Premiere

    Web Junkie / Israel (Directors: Shosh Shlam, Hilla Medalia) — China is the first country to label “Internet addiction” a clinical disorder. Web Junkie investigates a Beijing rehab center where Chinese teenagers are deprogrammed. World Premiere

    NEXT <=>
    Pure, bold works distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to storytelling populate this program. Digital technology paired with unfettered creativity promises that the films in this section will shape a “greater” next wave in American cinema.

    Appropriate Behavior / U.S.A., United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Desiree Akhavan) — Shirin is struggling to become an ideal Persian daughter, a politically correct bisexual, and a hip, young Brooklynite, but fails miserably in her attempt at all identities. Being without a cliché to hold on to can be a lonely experience. Cast: Desiree Akhavan, Rebecca Henderson, Halley Feiffer, Scott Adsit, Anh Duong, Arian Moayed. World Premiere

    Drunktown’s Finest / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Sydney Freeland) — Three young Native Americans—a rebellious father-to-be, a devout Christian woman, and a promiscuous transsexual—come of age on an Indian reservation. Cast: Jeremiah Bitsui, Carmen Moore, Morningstar Angeline, Kiowa Gordon, Shauna Baker, Elizabeth Francis.World Premiere

    The Foxy Merkins / U.S.A. (Director: Madeleine Olnek, Screenwriters: Lisa Haas, Jackie Monahan, Madeleine Olnek) — Two lesbian hookers work the streets of New York. One is a down-on-her-luck newbie; the other is a beautiful—and straight—grifter who’s an expert on picking up women. Together they face bargain-hunting housewives, double-dealing conservative women, and each other in this prostitute buddy comedy. Cast: Lisa Haas, Jackie Monahan, Alex Karpovsky, Susan Ziegler, Sally Sockwell, Deb Margolin.

    A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ana Lily Amirpour) — In the Iranian ghost town Bad City, a place that reeks of death and loneliness, depraved denizens are unaware they are being stalked by a lonesome vampire. Cast: Sheila Vand, Arash Marandi, Dominic Rains, Marshall Manesh, Mozhan Marnó, Milad Eghbali.World Premiere

    Imperial Dreams / U.S.A. (Director: Malik Vitthal, Screenwriters: Malik Vitthal, Ismet Prcic) — A 21-year-old, reformed gangster’s devotion to his family and his future are put to the test when he is released from prison and returns to his old stomping grounds in Watts, Los Angeles. Cast: John Boyega, Rotimi Akinosho, Glenn Plummer, Keke Palmer, De’aundre Bonds.World Premiere

    Land Ho! / U.S.A., Iceland (Directors and screenwriters: Martha Stephens, Aaron Katz) — A pair of ex-brothers-in-law set off to Iceland in an attempt to reclaim their youth through Reykjavik nightclubs, trendy spas, and rugged campsites. This bawdy adventure is a throwback to 1980s road comedies, as well as a candid exploration of aging, loneliness, and friendship. Cast: Paul Eenhoorn, Earl Nelson, Alice Olivia Clarke, Karrie Krouse, Elizabeth McKee, Emmsjé Gauti.World Premiere

    Listen Up Philip / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Alex Ross Perry) — A story about changing seasons and changing attitudes, a newly accomplished writer faces mistakes and miseries affecting those around him, including his girlfriend, her sister, his idol, his idol’s daughter, and all the ex-girlfriends and enemies that lie in wait on the open streets of New York. Cast: Jason Schwartzman, Elisabeth Moss, Jonathan Pryce, Krysten Ritter, Josephine de La Baume. World Premiere

    Memphis / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Tim Sutton) — A strange singer drifts through the mythic city of Memphis, surrounded by beautiful women, legendary musicians, a stone-cold hustler, a righteous preacher, and a wolf pack of kids. Under a canopy of ancient oak trees and burning spirituality, his doomed journey breaks from conformity and reaches out for glory. Cast: Willis Earl Beal, Lopaka Thomas, Constance Brantley, Devonte Hull, John Gary Williams, Larry Dodson. World Premiere

    Obvious Child / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Gillian Robespierre) — An honest comedy about what happens when Brooklyn comedian Donna Stern gets dumped, fired, and pregnant, just in time for the worst/best Valentine’s Day of her life. Cast: Jenny Slate, Jake Lacy, Gaby Hoffmann, David Cross, Gabe Liedman, Richard Kind.World Premiere

    Ping Pong Summer / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michael Tully) — 1985. Ocean City, Maryland. Summer vacation. Rap music. Parachute pants. Ping pong. First crushes. Best friends. Mean bullies. Weird mentors. That awkward, momentous time in your life when you’re treated like an alien by everyone around you, even though you know deep down you’re as funky fresh as it gets. Cast: Susan Sarandon, John Hannah, Lea Thompson, Amy Sedaris, Robert Longstreet, Marcello Conte.World Premiere

    War Story / U.S.A. (Director: Mark Jackson, Screenwriters: Kristin Gore, Mark Jackson) — A war photographer retreats to a small town in Sicily after being held captive during the conflict in Libya. Cast: Catherine Keener, Hafsia Herzi, Vincenzo Amato, Donatella Finocchiaro, Ben Kingsley.World Premiere

     

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